Thread guide



y 1934- M. J. McHALE 1,965,044

THREAD GUIDE Filed Jan. 26, 1954 7 mlmunml- 1N VEN TOR ATTORN Y Patented July 3, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My invention relates to thread guides for winding machines and more particularly to means for attaching a guide eye to a tension arm.

Heretofore, it has been proposed to attach porcelain guide eyes to the tension arms by means of cement. The guide eye is formed with a thread receiving opening and a longitudinal recess is provided in the body of the guide adapted to receive one end of the tension arm. Due to lo the frictional engagement of the thread with the guide, the surface of the porcelain becomes worn and after continued use, abrades or cuts the thread. It also happens that the porcelain guides are frequently broken due to increased tension on the thread or accidental contact with the guide by the operator of the machine.

When the guides are cemented to the tension arm, and it becomes necessary to replace the guide, the entire tension arm must be removed from its support. This entails considerable loss of time and in order to maintain a machine with a full complement of thread guides, a large supply of guides and arms must be available.

It has also been proposed to attach the porcelain guides to the support arms by means of various interlocking devices whereby the guides may be replaced in event that they become damaged. In the prior art devices, the arrangements used to fasten the guides to the supports are frequently of a complicated structure and require considerable time and manipulation in order to replace a thread guide.

It is the purpose of my invention to provide a thread guide fastening means wherein the guide may be easily and quickly replaced-without the use of any special instrument or tool. The conventional tension arm used in connection with the faller arm structure,'may be used without any modification; and I also provide means associated with the thread guide holding device whereby the guide is locked securely in position so that it will not become loose due to vibration or other causes.

An object of my invention is to provide a fastening means for thread. guides whereby the guide eye may be readily attached or detached from its supporting arm or bracket.

Another object of my invention is to provide an,

improved fastening means for thread guides wherein the conventional guide eye may be readily mounted upon the guide tension wire.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved locking means for the guide fastening device whereby the guide is held in tight engagement with its support.

Yet another object of my invention is to' provide an improved thread guide eye adapted to be used in combination with conventional forms of wire tensioning supports used in connection with faller arms.

With these and other objects in view, which 'may be incident to my improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations to be hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several necessary elements, comprising my invention, may be varied in construction; proportions and arrangement, without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

In order to 'make my invention more clearly understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawing means for carrying the same into practical effect, without limiting the improvements in their useful applications to the particular constructions, which for the purpose of explanation,

have been made the subject of illustration.

In the drawing:

,Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the improved thread guide structure, as applied to a winding machine.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one form of fastening device used with a faller arm.

' Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the fas-- tening arrangement used with a guidejadapted to be held in a horizontal position.

L) Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modification of the fastening device.

Referring to the drawing and more particularly to Figure 1, I have shown a diagrammatic view of my improved fastening means used in connection with a faller arm and a horizontal support attached to the frame of a winding machine. The faller arm designated generally by numeral 1 is of conventional form, pivoted at 2 and having a tension arm 3 attached thereto by means of a set screw 4. To the upper ends of arm 3 is attached a thread guide 5 through which thread 6 passes from bobbin 7' before it is wound upon a bobbin 7. Below the faller arm and attached to the side frame of the winding machine is a horizontal tension arm 8 adapted to support a thread guide 9. The arm 8 is arranged to slide in a sleeve member 10 by means of which the length of the arm may be adjusted and held in position by a set screw 11.

Referring to Fig. 2, the thread guide fastening arrangement used in combination with the faller arm of the type shown in Figure 1, comprises a central-support engaging section having arms 13 and 14 extending outwardly therefrom, the

free ends of the arms terminating in hook portions 15 and 16. The body portion 5 of the thread guide is provided with a thread receiving opening 17, a longitudinal recess 18 and an opening 19 extending through the body in a direction perpendicular to the recess 18.

When it is desired to replace a thread guide, arm 14 is pulled aside out of alignment with arm 13 and while in this position the end 16 of the arm is inserted into opening 19; arm 13 is then sprung so that hook portion 15 may seat in recess 18. After the hook portions are seated in the recesses formed in the body of the guide, they are held in this position by means of a slide 20 which may be in the form of a wire loop or fiat sleeve.

Referring to Fig. 3, the thread guide fastening device used in combination with a horizontal support of the type shown in Fig. 1, comprises a support engaging section 21, arms 22, 23, terminating in hook portions 24 and 25 respectively. Ihe guide used with the horizontal support is the same as the guide shown in Figure 1, however, it will be noted that the positions of the hook portions are reversed so that the guide will assume the proper angular position to receive the thread.

Referring to Fig. 4, there is shown a modification of the fastening device used in combination with a faller arm structure. In this arrangement, the body of the guide 5 is provided with a longitudinal recess and a recess 33 arranged perpendicular thereto and extending a short distance into the body of the block. The hook 34 is provided with an offset 35, the end 36 of the hook being adapted to seat in recess 33.

While I have shown and described the pre.

ferred embodiment oi my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details of construction herein set forth, by way of illustrations as it is apparent that many changes and variationsv may be made therein, by those skilled in the in" without departing from the spirit of the inv rich, or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

' What is claimed is:

i. In a thread guiding device for winding machines, the combination of a tension wire having a central support engaging section, arms extending outwardly from said section, the free ends of the arms terminating in hook portions adapted to receive a guide eye, a guide eye attached to the ends of the wire, comprising a body portion having a thread receiving opening, a recess longitudinally of the body forming a seat for one end of an arm, a second recess extending through the body of the guide to receive the end of another arm, and means to lock the ends of the arms in seated engagement in said recesses.

2. In a thread guiding device for winding machines, the combination of a tension wire having a central support engaging section, arms extending outwardly from said section, the free ends of the arms terminating in hook portions adapted to receive a guide eye, a guide eye attached to the ends of the wire, comprising a body portion having a thread receiving opening and a plurality of recesses to receive ends of the hooks and means to clamp the arms of the wire together whereby the hooks are maintained in engagement with the guide.

3. In a thread guiding device for winding machines, the combination of a tension wire having a central support engaging section, arms extending outwardly from said section, the free ends of the arms terminating in hook portions adapted to receive a guide eye, a guide eye attached to the ends of the wire, comprising a body portion having a thread receiving opening, a recess longitudinally of the body forming a seat for one end of an arm, a second recess extending through the body of the guide to receive the end of another arm, and means to clamp the arms together whereby the ends of the arms are held in seated engagement in said recesses.

4. In a thread guiding device for winding machines, the combination of a tension wire having a central support engaging section, arms extending outwardly from said section, the free ends of the arms terminating in hook portions adapted to receive a guide eye and a guide eye attached to the ends of the wire comprising a body portion having a thread receiving opening, a recess longitudinally of the body forming a seat for one end of an arm, and a second recess extending through the body of the guide to receive the end of another arm.

5. In a thread guiding device for winding machines, the combination of a tension wire having a central support engaging section, arms extending outwardly from said section, the free ends of the arms terminating in hook portions adapted to receive a guide eye, a guide eye attached to the ends of the wire, comprising a body portion having a thread receiving opening, a recess longitudinally of the body forming a seat for one end of an arm, a second recess extending through the body of the guide perpendicular to said longitudinal recess to receive the end of another arm, and means to lock the ends of the arms in seated engagement in said recesses.

6. In a thread guiding device for winding machines, the combination of a tension wire having a central support engaging section, arms ex tending outwardly from said section, the free ends of the arms terminating in hook portions adapted to receive a guide eye, a guide eye attached to the ends of the wire, comprising a body portion having a thread receiving opening, a recess longitudinally of the body forming a seat for one end of an arm, a second recess extending through the body of the guide perpendicular to said longitudinal recess to receive the end of another arm, and means to clamp the arms together whereby the ends of the arms are held in seated engagement in said recesses.

'7. In a thread guiding device for winding machines, the combination of a tension wire having a central support engaging section, arms extending outwardly from said section, the free ends of the arms terminating in hook portions adapted to receive a guide eye, a guide eye attached to the ends of the wire, comprising a body portion having a thread receiving opening, a recess longitudinally of the body forming a seat for one end of an arm, a second recess extending through the body of the guide perpendicular to said longitudinal recess, to receive the end of another arm, and means to lock the ends of the arms in seated engagement in the recesses comprising a sleeve member encircling the arms and movable longitudinally thereof.

MICHAEL J. MCHALE. 

